


Dreams of Lavender and Softness

by EmilliaGryphon



Series: Guardians of the Galaxy One Shots [21]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, gotg
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 18:52:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon
Summary: Groot is no stranger to comforting Rocket from his nightmares. But the raccoonoid isn't the only one with night terrors. One night Gamora's cries are heard throughout the ship and none but Groot and Rocket seem to hear.





	Dreams of Lavender and Softness

_Crying, sniffling, shuddering breath_. He knew the sounds well. They were the sounds of his past, the sounds of Halfworld.

“I am Groot,” Rocket’s already turbulent sleep broke at the muffled sound of Groot’s concerned whimpering. Focusing in with blurry eyes the enhanced raccoon looked at his tree friend. 

“Wha’s up bud?”

“I am Groot.”

“Yeah I heard it, it’s keeping me up!” He snarled, wiping his eyes with the back of his paws.

“I am Groot?” _There was no way the Flora colossus was going to let this go_. Rocket sat up groggy, swallowing and swooshing his tail lethargically.

“Who cares who it is, it ain’t you and it ain’t me.”

“I am Groot.” The flora colossus whined as another muffled cry echoed down the hall.

“No, we’re not checking on them!” Groot’s eyes narrowed with disapproval. 

“I am Groot!” 

“Fiiiine,” Rocket begrudgingly threw the covers off himself and jumped down to the floor, Groot following behind him. The corridor of the Milano bathed their fur and bark in the faint red of the emergency lights. The strangled shout echoed through the hall. Rocket gulped: _Gamora_. They crept to her door, next to Drax’s on the left. _No way the Destroyer would hear her, the man slept like a rock,_ Rocket recalled the time he nearly and totally unintentionally set off a small grade bomb outside his door.

“I am Groot?” The flora colossus pointed, Rocket scurried up the tree man’s legs, around his torso to his shoulder, perching until he could see through the slotted window. “I am Groot!” 

“Yeah, it’s her.” The raccoonoid whispered, his stomach quelling with unease; something about seeing the assassin curled up, tears blotching her face as her body shook made him start.  _Must be what I look like when I have a nightmare._ He turned to Groot, who confirmed his speculation with a wordless gaze. Rocket turned back to her, watching as she turned over onto her back, then curled on her side once more.

“I am Groot?” Rocket climbed down, easily overriding the locking mechanism. 

“Fine, just keep quiet.” They snuck in with practiced ease, Rocket holding his breath as they neared Gamora. “Gams? Gams, wake up.” He whispered under his breath, but Gamora only shivered, legs drawn up to her chest, arms tucked in, hands under her chin. Her face was drawn, tight, brown knitted and biting her lip. Tear stains came down her cheeks in rivulets as her breath shuttered in and out. 

“I am Groot,” Groot decided, gracefully hoisting himself up on to her bed and going to lay down next to her. 

“No! Psst, Groot! No!” Rocket shook his arms frantically, watching the strong branches begin to grow out from Groot’s arms as he enveloped Gamora gently. “Groot! If she wakes up….”

“I am Groot!” Groot explained, vines encircling Gamora. Rocket watched in horror as the Flora colossus continued to grow out his branches, gently cradling her. “I _know_ that’s what you do for me but Gamora’s different she knows a thousand different waits to kill you with her toe when she’s awake! Never-mind being woken up!” Groot only blinked, small purple buds now sprouting around Gamora as she struggled through whatever nightmare. Rocket watched her, tail twitching with recognition.

“Don’t make me regret this!” He vaulted up, careful to step over Gamora’s knees and eventually settled himself down in the small space between her bent elbows and drawn legs, against her stomach. It was cozy, it was warm. Comfortable and soothing. In the darkness of the room the shadows of the stars through the ceiling windows cast shadows on them, peppered by Groot’s branches. All around them the flowers smelled of sweet lavender. Gamora shivered again as Rocket curled up in on himself small nose resting near her arm. Rocket could only breathe deeply tracing her brows as they slowly softened. Her body shuddered with a yawn and a trembling gasp, but no new tears leaked from her eyes. She took another deep breath, this one swelling with the smell of flowers. Her stomach inflamed with it, gently touching Rocket’s back for a moment. He stiffened on instinct, prepared for the pain he’d been conditioned to expect. But it did not come. Only the rush of Groot’s leaves. The enhanced raccoon let his heavy gaze wander with the shadows until Gamora’s hand came into view silhouetted in the dark. Palm up, her fingers curled but not yet in a fist. With ephemeral tenderness Rocket reached out, placing his paw in her hand and squeezed it.

“It’s alright Gams,” he whispered. Speaking the words, he himself longed to hear back on Halfworld. Gamora no stranger to torture. “No one’s gonna hurt you no more,” he promised. “You ain’t with Thanos. You’re with us, and if anyone comes after you we’ll smoke em.” Groot hummed contently, his exhale sending pale purple petals drifting into Gamora’s hair. She sniffed, head lolling closer, resting against the arm where Rocket held her hand. He flinched, sucking in breath and waiting for her to awake. He sighed after some immeasurable time, looking at her. “You ain’t alone,” his voice cracked. It was as close to a prayer as he’d ever uttered. “You ain’t alone Gams.”

He gingerly retracted his paw, halting as Gamora’s fingers closed around it. He smiled and found his own eyes closing. Slowly Gamora calmed, her tears ceasing and breaths steadier with every sniff bringing fourth the spring scent of lavender. Groot’s arms encircled them all, tightening around them in an omnipresent hug.

“Where is everyone?” Peter stared into his dark mug of strong rekian coffee. “Gamora? Groot? Rocket?” He shuffled to Gamora’s door, peeking in and blinked away the sleep from his eyes. _What…? Is that? It can’t be!_ Yet indeed it was: Groot’s branches held Gamora and Rocket in a sheltering nest of brown and green only this time flecked with lilac flowers. Rocket was curled on Gamora’s stomach, tail over his nose. Gamora herself lay on her back, hair splayed out and adorned with flowers, a tranquil smile on her sleeping face.

**Author's Note:**

> The lack of Rocket/Gamora friendship fics is terrible, I've taken it upon myself to rectify that! Though if anyone knows of any other fics w/the two of them as friends please let me know!


End file.
